SLO County’s COVID-19 case rate dropped below 14 cases per 100,000, the State’s threshold
San Luis Obispo — San Luis Obispo County Health announced today that organized youth and adult sports with modifications can resume in San Luis Obispo County starting Friday, Feb. 26, with some modifications based on guidance from the California Public Health Department.
The guidance applies to all organized youth and adult sports, including school, community programs, private clubs, and leagues. This change is possible because San Luis Obispo County’s COVID-19 case rate dropped below 14 cases per 100,000 – the State’s threshold for allowing these activities to return.
“Youth sports are important to our children’s physical and mental health, and our public health approach has worked to balance those benefits against COVID-19 risks,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. “With case rates and hospitalizations declining across California, we are allowing outdoor competition to resume, with modifications and steps to reduce risk, in counties where case rates are lower.”
The updated guidance includes requirements that must be observed by all sports, including use of face coverings by observers and coaches, distancing between non-household members, limitations on spectators, limitations on tournaments, and other requirements.
It also includes requirements that must be followed when sports under the Orange Tier and Red Tier lists are played in counties in a more restrictive tier. This includes weekly testing for players and coaches in certain high-risk sports – like football, rugby, and water polo – where players are likely to be unmasked, with close, face-to-face contact over a long period of time. Outdoor moderate-contact sports, such as baseball, cheerleading, volleyball, gymnastics, and badminton, can be played without the testing requirement but require informed consent.
For all sports listed under the Red and Orange Tiers, teams must provide information regarding risk to all parents/guardians of minors participating. Each parent must sign an informed consent indicating their understanding of the risks.
For more information on examples of sports with different levels of contact and risk by tier, view the updated guidance.
